While few will discredit the appeal of a brand new IP, there’s something to be said about re-experiencing an old classic. Whether it’s from a few decades or even a few years ago, games from previous generations have stuck with us, to the point the gaming industry has become obsessed with remakes and remasters.

However, while plenty of classic and popular games have either already had their upgrade, or are in the pipeline for said upgrade, even more are left waiting in the wings. Just look at how long Rockstar Games fans have been waiting for a PC port/remake of Red Dead Redemption, despite the numerous requests and petitions.

As of late, though, publishers seem more receptive to the idea of remaking their classic games. Capcom, for example, has come out to say that remakes are becoming a part of their development pipeline, with titles like Resident Evil Zero and Resident Evil 4 getting their own current-gen upgrades. They’ve also just announced that Resident Evil 2 will be getting its own remake, after fan requests hit the publisher in droves. The Resident Evil 2 remake was only just announced last week, though, so don't expect any major developments soon.

But, as some may remember, Capcom’s official Resident Evil 2 remake wasn’t the only one in development. There was another RE 2 remake in the works, called Resident Evil 2: Reborn that used Unreal Engine 4 and was being developed by a handful of Resident Evil fans calling themselves InvaderGames. In fact, it was that unofficial remake that reignited the buzz surrounding a potential Resident Evil 2 remake, to the point Capcom decided to give the project a greenlight.

Unfortunately, with that greenlight for the official remake comes a harsh red light for the unofficial one. The developers behind the fan-made project have revealed this week that Capcom requested that they stop work on the remake, and the team has decided to acquiesce.

Those who might think that Capcom bullied the project out of existence should know that InvaderGames was notified about the official Resident Evil 2 remake ahead of time. According to their Facebook page, InvaderGames was politely asked to discontinue the project and then they were invited to discuss further ideas.

“Capcom called us up in advance of the announcement and asked us if we would mind stopping the project as they had longer term plans for a Resident Evil 2 Remake. They have invited us to a meeting to discuss further ideas."

So the silver lining might be that the folks who helped jump start the campaign for a Resident Evil 2 remake with their unofficial version are now going to work on the official one. Or at least Capcom may consult with the developers, as they are clearly fans of Capcom’s survival horror classic.

Whatever the case may be, it’s remarkable to consider how a fan-made project can actually gain enough traction to inspire publisher decisions. If a Resident Evil 2 remake can happen, who is to say that a fan-made Red Dead Redemption PC remake couldn’t inspire Rockstar games for example?

Source: InvaderGames (via VG 24/7)